“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

Month: June 2015

I’ve recently read and adored Edinburgh by Alexander Chee and The Briefcase by Hiromi Kawakami. Two very different books, one light and whimsical, the other dark and achingly powerful. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. I live for books that do that for me.

Edinburg is poetically written. It weaves fairly tales and mythology into a dark and twisted tale about sexual abuse and its aftermath. My heart hurt so much during and after reading this. It’s difficult to articulate why I would want anyone to read this, since it made me sob like a baby, but it’s just one of those books that make you better for having read it. It gives you a glimpse into an unspoken and often times taboo subject. Trust me this book is amazing.

I was bound to love this book. Japanese food is among my favorite things in the world, and the descriptions in this are mouthwatering. It also had a reminiscent tone of Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor, a book I read and adored last year. Review here if you’re interested. At its core, the books centers around loneliness and relationships. How we try to convince ourselves we’re fine with our loneliness, the awkward moments of getting to know someone, and most importantly, how to simply get up in the morning and live our lives. It sounds like it would be an angsty read, but it’s not. It has humor, a little wry and dark, but it’s there. I found myself relating to the main character,Tsukiko. She’s comfortable being alone, but misses people all the time. She good at her job, overworks herself sometimes, and she is prone to crying for no reason. She felt real. This entire book felt real. A nice and sweet treat.

If you’ve read these or other books by these authors, let me know what you think.

I’m going to by pass any of the awkward apologies for my absence in the last few months, I was swamped and I needed a break. ‘Nuff said. I will promise to try, try being the key word, to get back into blogging, but I can’t promise a thing. Instead I will say I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope to catch up with you all soon 🙂

Summer is here. Yay, if you like this season I suppose… I used to for one reason: Vacation. Abundant vacation, but now that I have a job that unfortunately does not include abundant summers, I have no real reason to like this season anymore. Bummer. No real loss. Me and the heat were never one. I also just started the job that I’m currently at, and my paid vacation time doesn’t start till a year from now, so no teeny week long shingdig either. In lieu of the glory of Summer travels, I’ve complied a Summer reading list in the hopes that I still get some traveling done, even if it’s just in book form. Maybe I’ll get inspired for next year’s destination. We’ll see.

Summer reading list:

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. (Re-read) I’ve talked about this book before, but it’s so great it deserves a re-mention. Hubbard’s destination is Central America which is why it has such a sweet spot for me. My family comes from Nicaragua, and while Bria, the MC doesn’t actually go there, it still gives me gooey feelings. Hubbard does a phenomenal job of capturing this part of the world, while delivering a lovely story about love, passion, and the beauty of exploration. My number one recommendation for travel lovers.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub I was drawn to the cover, not going to lie. Look at it. It screams of beach life, and I’m not even a huge fan of beach vacations. But that water…Anywho, it takes place on the island of Mallorca/Majorca, Spain and what a drool worthy destination. The Balearic Islands are really up there on my Travel Bucket List, so naturally I pounced on this one. The synopsis makes it seem like it’s going to be a combination of wine drunkeness and colorful sunset description with some familial drama thrown in the mix. As long as I can figuratively feel the Mediterranean breeze in my hair, I’m good.

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.
I’ve had this sitting on my shelf for years. It’s time to finally crack that spine open and make my way over to Provence. I can almost smell the lavender.

Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents by Elisabeth Eaves
This one’s a travel memoir, and seeing how much I enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, I’m hoping this one is another winner. I like that it spans 5 continents. In terms of book travel, it’s pretty much Nirvana.

And that’s all for my Summer reading list… for now. If you have any recommendations, please pass them along.

Hope you’re all enjoying your summer so far 🙂

Currently Reading

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